Ooltewah ( ) is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in Hamilton County,

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, United States. It is a community near

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

. The population was 684 at the 2020 census. Ooltewah is an

enclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...

in the city of Collegedale.

History

Ooltewah was the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

of James County, a former Tennessee county that went bankrupt in 1919 and was subsequently incorporated into Hamilton County. The former James County Courthouse located in the square in downtown Ooltewah is the community's major landmark. It is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Alfred Cate (1822–1871), a resident of Ooltewah, was a prominent Southern Unionist and leader in the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy. Cate and his men destroyed three Chattanooga-area railroad bridges on the night of November 8, 1861, in hopes of paving the way for a Union invasion of East Tennessee.Oliver Perry Temple,

Mary Boyce Temple Mary Boyce Temple (July 6, 1856 – May 16, 1929) was an American philanthropist and socialite, active primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was the first president of the Ossoli Circle, the oldes ...

(ed.),
Alfred M. Cate
" ''Notable Men of Tennessee'' (Cosmopolitan Press, 1912), pp. 85-88. On November 24, 1863, the 4th Michigan Cavalry entered Ooltewah and captured seventeen Confederates, including two officers, and destroyed a train of four wagons. On the next day, the 4th Michigan Cavalry destroyed the Ooltewah railroad bridge, burned 4,000 pounds of flour, and captured a Confederate Lieutenant Colonel before moving on to

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

before nightfall.

Geography

Ooltewah is located at (35.066834, -85.081421). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the CDP has a total area of , all land.

Name

The word Ooltewah is possibly derived from ultiwa, a Cherokee cognate of the

Muscogee The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands-tawa OH-POO-TA-WA).

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 684 people, 337 households, and 195 families residing in the CDP.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 687 people, 313 households, and 194 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 2,290 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 83.49%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 11.93%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.46% Native American, 0.84%

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 1.13% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 2.13% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.94% of the population. There were 2,153 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.04. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males. The median income for a household in the Ooltewah CDP was $92,243, and the median income for a family was $105,439. Males had a median income of $82,423 versus $61,036 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $51,034. About 2.6% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 9.0% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Ooltewah zip code is the site of Ooltewah High School, East Hamilton Middle/High School, Ooltewah Middle School, Hunter Middle School, Ooltewah Elementary School, Snow Hill Elementary School, Wolftever Creek Elementary School, and Wallace A. Smith Elementary School. East Hamilton Middle/High School split from Ooltewah High School due to a large student body. East Hamilton Middle/High School competes in Division 4A of the TSSAA, while Ooltewah competes in Division 5A of the TSSAA.

Notable people

* Mike Carter, Tennessee state legislator, lived in Ooltewah *

Luther Roy Luther Franklin Roy (July 29, 1902 – July 24, 1963) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. Roy was born in Ooltewah, Tennessee. He pitched from 1924 to 1929 with four different Major League teams. Luther Roy died, aged 60, in Grand Rapids, ...

, Major League Baseball pitcher, was born in Ooltewah *

Sammy Seamster Samuel Tyrone Seamster (born February 5, 1991) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and Jacksonville Jaguars. He was originally sign ...

, NFL player, was born in Ooltewah * Jacques Smith, NFL player, was raised in Ooltewah

References

External links

{{authority control Census-designated places in Hamilton County, Tennessee Census-designated places in Tennessee Chattanooga metropolitan area Former county seats in Tennessee